AREN’T HUMANS LUCKY?
But the nurse was not
listening.
She
was
scurrying out of the room
and the even-numberedcall nurse was taking her
place. "You called, Sir,"
said the nurse.
Perlock went red. "I was
merely shouting at the
other stupid robot, not
calling
you,
but."
he
continued hastily, as the
robot turned to leave,"
maybe you could get me I
some robot crutches."
"How many would you
like, Sir?"
Perlock sighed. “Two
crutches, PLEASE."
alf
an
hour later
Perlock
found
himself
being
transported
along
the
edge of the street by his
pair of robot crutches.
There had been no human
passers-by, which wasn't
surprising as most people
travelled by municipal
transport. It saved him
some embarassment.
HLurton
Suddenly, there was a
moan from the crutches.
69
"Keep
still.
You're
upsetting our balance."
"I'm just trying to get
comfortable,"
retorted
Perlock. "And be a bit
more civil."
"They left our civil
circuits out, softy. Now,
keep still or we’ll lay one
on you."
Perlock was speechless
but he continued to try to
achieve
a
happier
position.
"Right," said the crutches
in unison, "we're going
back to the hospital. Metal
and oil can only stand so
much."
"I don't want to go back
to the hospital," wailed
Perlock.
"Who
said
anything
about you?" inquired the
crutches nastily, and they
tipped Perlock into the
road.
When
he
had
recovered his senses the
crutches had hopped out
of sight.
"Come back," he called in
vain.